The movie begins with Polly Parrish (Ginger), being let go from her job as a seasonal salesclerk for the John D. Merlin & Sons Department Store. While walking home after her final day at work, Polly passes by the local foundling home, where she sees a woman leaving a baby on the doorstep. After ringing the bell of the home, the woman turns to leave, but Polly scolds her for abandoning her baby. Denying that the child is hers, the woman rushes away, leaving Polly with the baby in her arms as the foundling home door is opened. Of course, the directors of the home assume that the baby belongs to Polly, and though she tries to convince them otherwise, they don't believe her and keep insisting that she not abandon her baby.
When the directors of the foundling home learn that Polly was recently let go from Merlin's Department Store, they assume her lack of employment is why she wants to give up her child, so they approach the store owner David Merlin (David Niven) about giving Polly her job back. Of course, David is happy to enable Polly to keep her baby and offers her full-time employment.
Satisfied that Polly will now be able to keep "her baby," the foundling home directors deliver said child to Polly's apartment, letting her know that because Mr. Merlin gave her her job back, she can keep "her baby." However, knowing it's not her baby, plus having plans that evening, Polly delivers the child to Mr. Merlin's home, telling his butler that "Mr. Merlin got her into this mess and that the child is his responsibility." The young man Polly is with overhears her words to the butler and assumes that David Merlin is the father of Polly's baby, and in a moment of jealousy, lets the senior Mr. Merlin (Charles Coburn) know that he has a grandchild.
As the movie continues, senior Mr. Merlin is convinced his son is the father of the baby, and junior Mr. Merlin is convinced that the baby really is Polly's. How everything plays out is the balance of the film.
Bachelor Mother is not a profound film---and it's totally predictable---but it really is very sweet and lots of fun, plus it gives Ginger Rogers an opportunity to show that she was much more than just a dancer. She's lovely here, and delightfully funny, clearly establishing herself in "a new career as a comedienne." [1] My husband quite adores Ginger---she's his #1 gal---and this is the film which began the love affair.
According to Majestic Hollywood, the Greatest Films of 1939, just days before production of Bachelor Mother was to begin, Ginger Rogers complained about the script. Producer Pandro S. Berman attempted to assure her that the script "was better than 90 percent of Hollywood scripts going into production;" Ginger disagreed, however, and refused to begin the film. After being put on suspension, she eventually backed down, made the film, and even said she "loved working with David Niven and the precious baby." In the end, Ginger's hesitancy about doing Bachelor Mother was proven wrong, for audiences were wild about it. In fact, it was said to be "the best comedy of the year." [1]
Out on DVD, Bachelor Mother should be fairly easy to track down; plus, it's on the TCM schedule for Friday, March 21st, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). I hope you get a chance to see it.
Happy viewing!!
[1] Majestic Hollywood, the Greatest Films of 1939, by Mark A. Vieira, Running Press, 2013.
